Mashable

18,000 officers and men form the Statue of Liberty at Camp Dodge in Iowa.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

Born in England in 1889, photographer Arthur Mole became famous for his patriotic work as a naturalized American. But his work was far from traditional.

Accompanied by his partner, John Thomas, Mole visited military bases around the country during World War I. There, he placed his 11x14-inch view camera atop an 80-foot tower and ordered thousands of officers, soldiers, reservists and nurses into colossal compositions.

Each photograph took at least a week of planning to visualize and map out. Mole would trace the outline of each composition on the ground glass of his camera, then use a megaphone and hand signals to direct assistants on the ground.

It took several more hours of wrangling thousands of participants into place before the shutter could be clicked.

In the chaotic days of World War I, the monumental images were meant to display a sense of resolute national unity.

1918

25,000 officers and men form the Liberty Bell at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1918

21,000 officers and men form a portrait of Woodrow Wilson at Camp Sherman, Ohio.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1918

30,000 men and officers form an American shield at Camp Custer in Michigan.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1917

U.S. Naval Rifle Range, Camp Logan, Illinois.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1917

Bluejackets form Allied flags at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Pelham Bay, New York.

The Living allied flags; Bluejackets at U.S. Naval Training Station, Pelham Bay, New York

1918

Soldiers of the 164th Depot Brigade form a service flag at Fort Riley in Kansas.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1917

Men and officers form the YMCA logo at Camp Wheeler in Georgia.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1918

12,500 officers, nurses and men form an American eagle at Camp Gordon in Georgia.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

1918

22,500 officers and men form a machine gun insignia at Camp Hancock in Georgia.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Library of Congress

c. 1917

Officers and men form a Japanese flag at the United States Naval Training Station in Illinois.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

c. 1917

Men and officers form a Union Jack flag at the United States Naval Training Station in Illinois.

Image: Mole & Thomas/Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

1917

Men and officers form an American flag at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois.